Nancy Pelosi: “I am afraid that we do not see the respect for the civil service that I think that this Homeland Security Department…”

“I am afraid that we do not see the respect for the civil service that I think that this Homeland Security Department legislation should contain. There is a serious reason why we have a civil service. It came into existence to eliminate corruption and favoritism, and, here, we have here a diminishing of the rights of our workforce, rather than enhancement of our civil service. We sing the praises of our first responders, of our public employees who stand as the first line of defense, physically and intellectually, in protecting America, and yet in this new Department we want to diminish their rights. I am also concerned about the safety issues. It took my breath away in committee when the chairman's mark had in it the elimination of a deadline for putting detection devices in place to detect explosives in baggage. We end up in this bill with an extension. But I hope that that will not be an endless extension, but I fear that it may be. I do not think that is the way to protect the American people best. I am very concerned about the liability provisions, the total immunity given to businesses, even those guilty of fraud and wrongdoing. Unlimited immunity.”